Pesticides and American's Health

Introduction

The world in which we live today is moving at a rapid pace. In this rapidly changing world the only thing that is constant is of change. In order to meet the steps with this change and accelerating world this world is producing new and innovative technologies, processes and methodologies. These technological advancements are taking place in each and every field. The field of technology has become so advanced that it even has shown its miracle in the field of food and crops. The latest methodology that is used in the foods and crops is genetically engineered food. The dilemma is that besides the invention of the genetically engineered foods and crops people are still relying on traditional agricultural methods. This gives rise to the issue of pesticides. It is believed that these pesticides cause negative impacts on the health of the human beings. It is not only harmful for the farmers but it is also cause negative impacts to those who live nearby to the agricultural area. The aim and objective of this paper is to undertake discussion about the same issue.

Thesis Statement

The purpose of this paper is to undertake discussion to prove that long term exposure of the toxic chemicals found in pesticides used in agricultural production have a negative affect on thousands of Americans' health each year; serious medical issues have been linked to exposure of these toxins, through what we eat and tainted water sources, are neurological effects, birth defects, and certain forms of cancer.

Discussion

Much of the debate over the use of pesticides is focused on agricultural practices and food safety. However, environmental scientists say the use of pesticides in residential areas is equally deserving of attention. Each year, large amounts of chemicals are used to ward off household pests, preserve wooden structures, clean swimming pools and beautify lawns and golf courses. Like the pesticides used by farmers to protect crops, these chemicals leave potentially dangerous residues in the air, soil and water. Water pollution management has proven quite effective in removing many potentially toxic substances from U.S. waters, including fertilizers, pesticides and lead. But pharmaceutical drugs are a different story; even after the drugs pass through the human body and various types of filters at water-treatment plants, traces of hundreds of them still show up in the drinking water supply (Miller, pp. 12).

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans used 136 million tons of pesticides in their homes and gardens in 1997 alone. Americans also used 665 million pounds of wood preservatives to ward off termites (Mathews, pp. 111).

In recent years, many studies have linked urban pesticide use to environmental and health-related problems. A primary concern among environmentalists is the damage pesticides cause to waterways that pass through urban areas. Government studies have shown that most urban streams are polluted with higher concentrations of insecticides than are streams in agricultural areas. Some health experts have also linked urban pesticide use to human health problems, especially among children, who are exposed to high ...